Teacher Leadership and the Ideal Classroom

Learner-Centered Innovation: Week 2, Season 4 #IMMOOC

Image via DevOps

Dr. Katie Martin expresses that, "teacher leaders can serve as linchpins that move systems and structures to a culture of learning and make a significant impact for those they serve."

The way that I try to create and improve my innovation ecosystem is to lead and participate in a bridging committee between the Middle School and High School World Languages Department.  Yes, it is rewarding, but it might just be the most frustrating educational experience I have ever participated in.

Vertical and horizontal alignment buzzwords aside, it's been a rocky road from the beginning.  I was so ill-prepared on how to lead it, this year we had no other alternative than to hit the reset button. Mission Impossible commences.

Slowly though, we are moving together and paving a path of least resistance.

One reason I am so obsessed with this PLCs is that I strongly believe in the concept of Teacher Leadership and Collective Teacher Efficacy as being the most effective denominator of student achievement.

For me, this is a non-negotiable and PLCs are exactly the strength-based teacher driven change that Dr. Martin mentioned in her book.  This is my way of trying to improve my ecosystem.  Despite major setbacks we experienced as a team, I will not give up.  Our work is too important.


The question was posed of what does our ideal classroom look like?

There are so many factors and @RichViolanti's post nailed it when he writes these tenants:

What's Your Message, By Richard Violanti 

In addition to his list, I would look for a teacher whose passion clearly shines.  The classroom is nothing but a vessel if there is no one passionate about what they are learning and creating.

Below is also a picture of George Couros' 8 Things to Look for in Today's Classroom:

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The Greater Purpose of Schools

#InnovatorsMindset Blog Challenge Week 1

What do you see as the purpose of education?  Why might innovation be crucial in education? "Change is an opportunity to do something amazing."  How are you embracing change to spur innovation in your own context? 

Picture From George Couros 

It can be said that morality encompasses fairness, altruism, and empathy.  These are what is considered crucial to our notion of humanity and what sets us apart from beasts.

The purpose of education is to empower students to be contributors to society and to give students the drive to care for others besides themselves.

Activating a student's internal drive is one purpose that I hope to embrace this year.  Creating ways to get students passionate about a worthy cause is something that sparks students' intrinsic motivation to learn, to grow, and to ultimately be a leader.

Innovation is crucial to education because if we settle and continue to teach in the traditional academic mindset, it will absolutely crush curiosity.

Therefore, as educators, we must sieze every opportunity to innovate ourselves.  If not, then we are not only fundamentally failing our students but our society as well.

I hope to push myself this year to model the behavior of being the continuous learner.  We are tasked with making our students academically proficient-- but we must prioritize students understanding that they must leave school with a greater purpose, their "why," and to share their legacy with the world.

"You can't make anyone change"... But what you can do is create those conditions for them to "unleash their talents" and passion.

Innovator's Mindset, by George Couros #IMMOOC, Season 4